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At Circus Gatti, exotic animals, hilarious showmen, and thrilling daredevils delight families in an outrageous three-ring spectacle. During the two-hour show, elephants Tika and Patti stomp to Bollywood choreography, and the Liberty Ponies knock their synchronized hooves under the deft direction of Miss Genevieve, who conducts with a baton made of sugar cubes. The Great Oscar soars through the heavens with nothing but an oversize rope and bones infused with helium, with The Queen Bee delivering further aerial thrills while fluttering beside her hive in an atmospheric ballet. Pipin and Poppy elicit laughs with their comedy routine, and Miss Elizabeth induces awe with a contortion and balancing act in which she fires an arrow with her legs and feet while hanging upside down. After the show, those who opted for the meet and greet will brush elbows with the circus stars, snapping photos and asking questions regarding their skill, bravery, and how to construct a Q-tip big enough to clean an elephant's ear.

An evening at The Giggle Dam begins as a typical night out, until a zany cast member delivers your appetizer. That's because the theatre treats the dinner and performance portions of its shows as one and the same; rather than only using printed menus, the cast sings the dinner selections to the audience, and rather than postponing the entertainment, the entrée delivery is part of the show. Every plate of the four-course meal—which features rotating dishes such as roast beef and gravy, salmon, and vegetarian pasta—is crafted by award-winning chef Pieter Van Meenen, who incorporates seasonal ingredients and fresh techniques in each of his inventive creations. As the audience dines, the actors float around the room and converse with every table while hamming it up with their impressions and gags.
Once the actors are familiar with the audience members' names, hometowns, and shampoo preferences, they hit the stage and engage the audience in an outrageous and politically incorrect original musical comedy show accompanied by an eight-piece band. Every performance is a Giggle Dam original written by the members of the diverse cast who all bring something different to the table, whether it's singing in musical theatre, touring with a rock band, or performing in burlesque shows. The Giggle Dam cast pulls from these experiences to create shows full of laughs, music, and willing audience participation. To keep things fresh, the company swaps out the shows four times a year, premiering a new display every three months to feature more vibrant characters, catchy songs, and side-splitting laughs.

Inventive interpretations of upscale Italian eats populate Tramonto's savoury dinner menu. Travel toward taste with a starter such as the foie gras ($21), with Kashmiri-spiced poached peach and caramelized Belgian endive, or attempt the ahi tuna tartar ($13), accompanied by cucumber cups, tobiko, balsamic reduction, and a tomato chutney. The caprese salad ($13) recruits a herd of buffalo mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, and balsamic to outrun hunger pangs, and the sockeye salmon ($29) stars as a main dish, steamed and raised with braised leeks, potato gnocchi, tomato confit, and a vermouth cream sauce. The wagyu beef (available at market price) asserts itself as a favourite in the meat-seeking mouths of carnivores, and the chicken ($27) comes stuffed with truffle and goat cheese. After an exciting meal, saunter into the luxurious casino and take your chances at making $10 grow exponentially, like a colony of chinchillas or a love for reality cooking shows.

Instant Theatre Company not only stages off-the-cuff improv shows, it instructs others in the art. "Our preference is to give you the overall experience," the company says on its website. This translates to classes that emphasize character, scene work, and story, the blend of which helps students develop comedic timing, learn team-building skills, and make up really great excuses when they forget their mother's birthday. The result: quick-witted shows that engage both the actors and the audience. And though the company focuses much of its energy on improv, it also embraces other comedic forms, namely sketch comedy taught by Kids in the Hall alum Kevin McDonald and standup classes helmed by festival regular and CTV star Adam Pateman.

Helmed by Artistic Director Leila Getz, the Vancouver Recital Society has drawn internationally acclaimed artists to British Columbia for more than three decades. Over the years, the society has dazzled audiences with concerts by celebrity cellist Yo-Yo Ma and recitals by violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman. With recitals spread across four of Vancouver’s most esteemed venues, the Vancouver Recital Society packs every season with esteemed and seasoned luminaries, while introducing audiences to future generations of classical royalty.